On The Menu with Lobby Lounge at Four Seasons

The Lobby Lounge has been part of Four Seasons Resort Maui for decades, but hasn’t really had its own identity…until now.  Helmed by star mixologist Ben Yabrow, the newly reimagined Lobby Lounge is a celebration of the diverse and colorful flavors and flora of Maui.

Featuring what he calls a “modern tropical” craft cocktail program, Yabrow has curated a stunning collection of original creations and imaginative interpretations of classic tropical cocktails.

“I love creating,” says Yabrow, who calls the process exhilarating. “I’m very excited to bring the modern tropical concept, which is based on modernizing the treatment of the island’s tropical ingredients, into focus.”

The modern tropical craft cocktail selection celebrates the fresh flavors of Maui, incorporating refined and delightfully surprising twists on classics. Starting with bright daytime drinks and finishing with moody late-night selections, the cocktail menu is organised to flow with the cadence of the day and is divided into five categories: Gold, Ember Glow, Deco Rose, Viola, and Moonlight. In addition to the 20 new spirited cocktails, each section of the menu also features an inspired “free-spirited” non-alcoholic selection that has been just as thoughtfully crafted by Yabrow.

The cocktail collection will be served alongside Executive Chef Craig Dryhurst’s new small-plate menu, featuring items inspired by the Hawaiian melting pot. Local dishes and flavours shine in the delicious items. Favourites include Kona kanpachi crudo, ahi poke flatbread, mochiko chicken banh mi, and for dessert, malasadas with vanilla coconut cream.

The sense of place carries into the setting, a 112-seat lounge designed by Wimberly Interiors, the same design firm that completed the property’s beautiful floor-to-ceiling room and suite transformation in late 2016. The contemporary beachfront space, which boasts a stunning view of the Pacific, West Maui Mountains and island of Lāna‘i, is beautifully appointed with natural tones and textiles inspired by the destination, rare ivory cane palms, and locally-made art.

Wooden sculptures from Maui artisan Tim Garcia’s Shibusa series adorn the lounge. “The sculptures have cutouts that represent portals, linking the present and future,” explains Four Seasons Maui Art Director Rose Potter. “But they allow everyone their own reference point. I’ve heard guests describe them as surfboards or sails. Personally, I appreciate the totem energy they hold, without being representational tikis.”

The new drink menu itself is a work of art, incorporating phases of the moon, colors of the sunset and cocktail-friendly times of day.  Yabrow gives us a virtual tour in the video above; it’s received a nomination for World’s Best Cocktail Menu at the Spirited Awards.  Those take place at Tales of the Cocktail, a wildly popular event in New Orleans, which also happens to be the largest beverage convention in the world.  Yabrow will find out if they make the semi-finals in June.

“It’s how we’ve decided to communicate our beverage offerings to our guests in a fun and creative way,” he explains.

The Lobby Lounge is open nightly from 5 to 11 p.m. Guests enjoy live Hawaiian music, hula and a torch-lighting ceremony nightly at sunset.  It also features special dim sum on the weekends; you can learn more in our video here. The lounge is now offering a kama‘āina discount of 20% off food and signature drinks from 8 p.m. to close for local residents.

Speaking of discounts, another restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Maui, DUO, is participating in Restaurant Week Wailea from Sunday, May 19 to Saturday, May 25.  Learn more about the deals throughout Wailea here.